4.   The scholar and hadith expert Qatāda bin Diʿāmah رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَلَيْه would complete the Quran in seven nights in other months. During Ramaḍān, he would complete the Quran every three nights. During the last ten days, he would complete the Quran once every night.^[1]

5.   The Tābiʿi jurist Saʿd bin Ibrāhīm Zuhri رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَلَيْه would not perform ifṭār on the 21^st, 25^th, 27^th, 29^th and 30^th of Ramaḍān until he recited the entire Quran. During maghrib and ʿishā, he would ponder over matters of the hereafter. At the time of ifṭār, he would invite the poor to eat with him.^[2]

Dear Islamic brothers! We have just heard of how our pious elders recited the Quran in Ramaḍān. Let us now discuss what acts of worship they would carry out.

Passion for worship

The saint Abū Bakr رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَلَيْه says, “When we returned home after performing worship all night in Ramaḍān, we would ask our employees to give us food quickly out of fear that Fajar time begins.”^[3]

Another saint by the name of Ibrāhīm bin Adham رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَلَيْه was reported to harvest crops during the days of Ramaḍān and spend its nights in nafl worship. He spent the entire month like this without any sleep in the day or night.^[4]

Dear Islamic brothers! This is how our pious elders spent their time in Ramaḍān. As soon as the month started, they greatly increased in their acts of worship and recitation of the Quran. They would recite the entire Quran in one, two or three days. Their days were spent working hard